Sunday, June 24, 2007

My attempts at glass paintings...

I've been wanting to learn and try out my hand at stained glass paintings since very long..since college days if I remember correctly. But don't know why I never got into learn in it then. And when I say stained glass painting, I do not mean the actual actual stained glass which is made out of different colored glass pieces welded together. That requires LOTS of time. So you can just call my attempts as simple glass paintings.

So I finally dived into trying it out about 6 months ago. I've had the time to make only 7 as of now. I need more designs and more glass. I had been using the broken/old glass pieces lying at home till now. But now that I've used up all that were at home, I will need to buy more now.

Here are some that I made recently :

Now I'm looking for more designs to make more. But before that I need to go and buy some colors!

And how can I forget the fiasco that the framing guy did to these paintings! I was so furious! Dunno what he did, but when I went to collect them, he had newspaper impressions on all of the paintings! God only know what he did. He tried to tell me that I gave him when they were still wet and I didn't tell him so. I was so mad and told him if the painting that was done 3 months ago is still called wet, then it was wet!

And when I told him instead of me paying him anything for the framing he should be paying me back for ruining them, he goes its OK if I don't pay him anything. That made me more mad. I was like how can he be so nonchalant about the whole thing. I in fact didn't want to pay him anything but somehow my conscience didn't let me do that. But I still deducted 25% from what I was to pay as his fine. Although from his attitude it made him no difference.

How can people be so indifferent to others? I had to do some more work on them to restore them and i was so relieved when they looked just fine after drying up.

Yes of course I remember Shalini. Well..she wasn't in glass paintings as such.she just did a 2-3 day workshop and that was it. From what I know she never took it forward. I still have that small coaster that she had made and given to me! The last mail that was ever exchanged with her was on the Ex-Tri...board only..which was about 2 years ago?? :)

I was born in Germany and we moved to India when I was 10. My soft corner is for Germany rather than for India. That is why I go mad when I hear NRIs talking about 'Indian-born' and 'I love/miss India' crap. I know that it's a show. Why don't they quit and return to India if they really care?

WIAN : Thanks for the compliment and yes I was really happy once I saw they were all good once I re worked on them.

I still remember, when I was working on them again after the framing fiasco, and was in qutie an off mood, my son comes to me and sayd "Mumma Kya hua? Uncle ne kharab kar diya?" :D That concern in his voice made any anger disappear in thin air!

Thanks for apperciating the glass paitings. Well I do not have any "How to" link but I can give you the steps that I've learnt from my person trial and error method:

1. Start with a very small motif/design. So take a glass piece not more than approx. 5x7 inches in size. You can take the plain glass or the ones which have grains on one side. I personally prefer the latter kinds.

2. Take a B&W prinout of the design in the size of your design that you want to make.

3. Place the glass on that print out with the smooth side on the top. We paint on the smooth side..always.

4. I had first started with the camelin starter set (water based) for stain glass paitings. It cost me about Rs. 75 or so. Do not remember the price exactly but it was less than 80 for sure.

5. There is a liner that comes with the kit. Usually it comes in black color but you get them in different colors too like you can see in my sun painting I used the bronze liner.

6. Do the outline squeezing the tube at the end. Let it dry atleast over night and maybe for 3 days if its humid/rainy season.

7. After the outline is dried up, fil up the empty areas as you like with the colors. But sit with a pin o a toothpick as bubbles form. So you have to burst them using the pin or the toothpick. Keep a tissue also as I usually wipe the pin/toothpick after bursting one. You will know how it helps once you actually use it.

8. DO NOT keep the fan on, while filling it with colors. That forms bubbles like crazy! you can keep teh fan on while making the outline though. No issues with that. In fact that dries up the outline faster.

9. You will need to do atleast 2 coats for the colors to look nice enough when held against light or a light colored wall. There are some portions in my sun painting where I had to do 3 coats.

10. Let it dry with NO FAN for atleast 3 days.

I'vent tried the oil based colors as yet but will surely try them out soon and then will let you know how it goes.

All the best. Its quite easy and I feel anyone can do it who has little bit of control on the hands/strokes!

Wow! Thanks a tonne! That was real quick! And I will definetely try this out after I procure all the materials this weekend.U must put this up as a post. I am sure plenty of people will find it useful.Again, thanks!

Your Paintings are beautiful. I am 69yrs old lady and live in states i have done lots of glass painting My major problem is when I come to India I have no idea where to get the craft material Can someone please tell me address of one PLEASE